Something Has Got to Give

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science. ~ Charles Darwin

Everybody just shut the f**k up!!! I know people aren’t listening to each other. I truly doubt that people are listening to themselves. Can we go more than 24 – 48 hours after something horrific happens before the pundits come out pushing forth their agenda? After every tragedy that occurs in our country, that actually gets national attention, the ignorance and intolerance of our society comes out. A blogger that I follow posted a succinct piece titled ‘What is Wrong With You People?’ Another blogger posted similar sentiments. I ask that question every freaking day but I can’t seem to come up with a reasonable response.

People are mad. I’m not talking mad as in upset or emotional. I say mad in the sense that people have lost their way. What way? I’m not speaking in terms of the many institutions of power and influence (religion, politics, etc.). People have lost their sense of virtue. I’m more apt to believe that some individuals don’t even know what virtue is. A people with no virtue are surely one that will fall victim to their own vices.

No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders. ~ Samuel Adams

You hear what these people are saying? Oh we should have more guns, arm the teachers and staff. Yeah and scare the shit out of the kids. Every citizen should be armed to the teeth; don’t take away my guns and tread on my freedom. Yeah and let us all live in fear of each other. I mean I can understand both sides of that argument. Personally I’m neither for or against it because I don’t truly believe that guns or the lack thereof will solve the issue.

Fear begets fear; violence begets violence. While one may think that the presence of armed folk will deter a would be attacker , what happens if that person chooses to get a sniper rifle and shoot from a long distance? Or they choose to use a bomb rather than a gun? So now are we going to have the bomb squad on constant call? The answer isn’t more or less guns, it isn’t more laws. There’s a whole bunch of other factors that I feel should be addressed; mental health care, lack of opportunity, lack of education, lack of virtue, etc. But even in saying all that I think it still boils down to personal responsibility.

Every clique is a refuge for incompetence. It fosters corruption and disloyalty; it begets cowardice, and consequently is a burden upon and a drawback to the progress of the country. Its instincts and actions are those of the pack. ~ Madame Chiang Kai-Shek

On the real, even with all these things that I am writing, I can’t even begin trying to figure out where to start with fixing the issues plaguing our nation. I don’t have answers; I just talk my sh*t just like everybody else and hope I’m doing the right thing by my family and loved ones. I do know that people are hurting, people are frustrated, and rightfully so. Sh*t is crazy in the world. There are no clear-cut answers to what is plaguing our nation. There’s no one size fits all or magic bullet that will fix things. We’re too dynamic and diverse a nation for that. But as I’ve seen many people mention and you’ll see me echo is that we need to fundamentally change our way of living as Americans.

Our attitude as a nation sucks. We can’t even be bigger than the things that divide us. It’s a culture of tribalism. People get into their little sects and comfort zones and ignore outsiders or anybody whose way of living or thoughts doesn’t line up with their own. We have to do better. But honestly we won’t. Hate to be the pessimist but as I’ve mentioned time and again, I don’t have too much faith in people anymore. This proves what I posted yesterday about people being none the wiser. Seriously, if all these tragedies that are occurring can’t bring us together, what will? I believe by the time we figure that one out it’ll be too late.

3 comments

I think you’ve made a few really good points. It’s sort of terrible to hear about people selfishly pushing their agendas during all of this. We should, if anything, all agree that this is a terrible and complicated issue that needs real action from all sides.

But, before any of that happens, I think every person should have taken a moment out to be tactful and considerate before they spoke. I am pleased to see that you did.

I share in the pain and sorrow. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I heard my children had to bear witness to such evil. There’s a time to say a whole lot of things but just not when people are trying to make sense of what has occurred. I understand emotions will run high but that shouldn’t get in the way of sensibility and decency.

That’s part of the reason why our country is eroding. It’s not because of abortion, health care, politics, homosexuality, immigration. No, we’ve lost the ability to have civil discourse and the capacity to truly care for one another without some ulterior motive.

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